Brittany Correia ‘16

Sociology Major
Psychology Minor

"I transferred to SJC from SCCC after being offered a generous academic scholarship. SJC recognized my academic strength as well as my commitment to improving the well being of others.

"I am extremely grateful for every opportunity SJC has given me and the support of its faculty and staff. After the loss of all my belongings in a house fire, SJC provided me with unwavering support, encouragement, and resources to succeed both on campus and off. There is no way that I would have been able to have the opportunities available to me today if not for SJC.

"After the loss of all my belongings in a house fire, SJC provided me with unwavering support, encouragement, and resources to succeed both on campus and off."

"[After graduation] I plan on obtaining a Masters of Science in Sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

"I used to want to be a marine biologist — I was obsessed with dolphins when I was growing up! I think there's a similarity in wanting to study dolphins or humans, as they're both very social species with their own quirks and cultures. They both depend on interacting with others and pass down social traits. So, I just traded studying one species for another!"

Favorite book? Quote?

"I absolutely adore Steinbeck's writing and East of Eden is my personal favorite. Such a textured picture of life that speaks a different message every time I read it."

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." — Theodore Roosevelt

Who has been the biggest influence on your life?

Have you been a part of any service activities that were meaningful to you?

"My time at Restoration and Revival Outreach Program on Main Street in Patchogue opened my eyes to the critical needs of our local community. It was the first time that I recognized that despite my own personal troubles, I am in an immensely privileged position in being able to attend SJC and look towards a secure future. Those who seek help from the outreach program struggle to put food on their table, warm clothes on their back and have had no luck in finding a job. Speaking with these people really put my troubles into perspective and inspired me to strive for change on their behalf."

If you had to give one reason for a student to choose St. Joseph’s College, what would it be?

"Its outstanding faculty, staff, and students. I have never met a more ambitious and helpful group of people than at SJC."

Who is your favorite SJC professor?

"My major source of inspiration, illumination and frustration during my undergraduate career has come from Dr. Rachel Schwartz. Her unique insights and conclusions about the social world have forced me to confront my own biases and find confidence in my ability to draw conclusions about the complexity and confusion I see around me. Her enthusiasm about sociology is amazingly contagious as well as staggering, and as a result I am able to think differently about the influence society has had on my life. It was through all the (mostly) figurative kicking and screaming I have done in her classes that I gained an appreciation for sociological thought in a way I did not think was possible."

What do you do in your spare time?

"Spare time is a luxury I unfortunately have very little of! I work most of the time I'm not at SJC, mentoring, or volunteering. Reading anything and everything is what takes up most of my personal time. I also play the piano but I'm a bit rusty as I don't have even a keyboard here in NY!"

Aside from earning a degree and getting a job, what do you hope to get out of your time at SJC?

"Since this is my last year, I just want to get the most out of it. I want to look back and be so happy that I ended my undergrad experience with a bang. Helping everyone I could and having the most fun I could."

What was the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?

"My house fire. Moving on after losing my possessions just before my first semester at SJC was pretty rough to say the least. It was hardest losing items that reminded me of fond memories and my family in Rhode Island. While still a terrifying and devastating event in my life, I have come to see the fire as a positive turning point. I would have never had the opportunity to meet the amazingly courageous and supportive people that have helped me get to where I am today."

Did you study abroad, and if so, what was the experience like?

"Travel is my absolute passion. As of this year, I have enjoyed lengthy cross-country trips through Mexico and Japan, short trips to Toronto and Montréal, touring layovers in Seoul and Reykjavik, and most recently a lovely week in Stockholm and its surrounding districts.

"I have also made it a personal goal to eventually visit all seven continents and all fifty states. I have wandered the streets of Tokyo alone, dove off cliffs in Acapulco, and sung along to 90s pop songs in a basement bar with Swedes in Södermalm. I am excited to make similar memories this summer during a two-week intensive study abroad program in Oxford, England with fellow SJC students and Profs. Turgeon and Blakeley. I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to have travelled as extensively as I have and I strongly urge others to do the same."

What is the best advice someone has ever given you?

"Be a sponge and absorb everything. Read, listen, interact and be an active participant."

What have you learned about yourself during your time at SJC?

"That as long as you keep pushing through even the toughest of times, good things will come from that hard work."

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Esse non videri — “To be, not to seem.”

The mission of St. Joseph’s College is to provide a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, rooted in a liberal arts tradition that supports provision for career preparation and enhancement. READ OUR FULL MISSION.